Improvement in car-coupling



W. R. BAKER.

Car Coupling. No, 104,098. Patented Aug. 14, 1870.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM RONDEAU BAKER, OF TREMPEALEAU, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 104,098, dated June 14, 1870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RONDEAU BAKER, of Trempealeau, in the county of Trempealeau and State of WVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Self-Acting Oar'Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation "of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the coupling-pin, guide, and link-support, detached.

This invention relates to devices designed to be attached to draw-heads of cars; and consists of certain parts so constructed as to retain firmly a couplinglink in an inclined p0- sition, and also to sustain a coupling-pin perpendicularly out of contact with the couplinglink until the latter strikes a support upon which the lower point of the coupling-pin rests, forcing it back, causing the coupling-pin to drop automatically and pass through said link, as hereinafter to be described.

A A represent draw-heads of cars of the ordinary construction; G O, the coupling-pin guides or clips 5 H H, the coupling-pin and link support, with its spring M attached thereto.

The coupling-pin guides or clips 0 O are formed either in one or two pieces, having ears NNembracin g the top part of the draw-heads A A. When this coupling-pin guide or clip is formed in two pieces they are firmly secured together by bolts or other devices.

The insides of the ears N N are provided with flanges b b at a distance from the interior of the top equal to the thickness of the plate of the draw-head, which prevents all lateral and upward movement of the coupling-pin guides or clips 0 O.

Arms or projections D D are formed with or otherwise secured to the ears N N, which sustain the coupling-pin and link-supporter. Instead of the short arms D D, bolts may be used, extending from side to side through the draw-head, coupling-pin, and link-supporter. This coupling-pin or link-supporter H is jour naled to the arms D D, and is provided with corrugations or grooves h h on its face, more or less its entire width, for reliably retaining the coupling-link in an inclined position when one end of the link is secured by a couplingpin, L, as shown in Fig. 1.

The upper part of the support His also provided with a cavity or seat, G, on its top, for sustaining the coupling-pin in a perpendicular position out of contact with the inward passage of the couplin g-link P, as shown in Fig. 1.

The flanges K K, extending from the sides of the cavity or seat G on or near the top of the coupling-pin and link-support H, embrace the sides of the coupling-pin designed to prevent the link from rebounding, compelling it to glance onto the coupling pin supporter, which, by its backward movement, relieves the coupling-pin of its support, causing the same to drop through the link P.

A spring, M, is attached at one end to the rear part of the support H,'the other end being free, so as to press against the top of the draw-head when the end of the couplin g-link P is placed within either of the corrugations or grooves h h, and secured by the couplingpin L.

O O are springs, coiled at one end and fastened to the coupling-pin guides or clips. The other end, passing up, embraces the couplingpin, having a rest upon apin, l, projecting out on each side of the coupling-pin L, designed to firmly hold the coupling-pin when raised in the cavity or seat G, and to increase its downward movement when violently relieved of its support, also serving the purpose of safely retainin g the bolt in its proper position when passed through the draw-head and link.

Operation.

Previous to coupling together two cars the coupling-pin L on one of the cars is raised, its lower point allowed to rest in the cavity or seat Gr of the support H, as shown in Fig. 1, while the coupling-link on the opposite car is placed within either of the corrugations or grooves of the support H, according to the height of the car, forcing back the support un til the link is secured by the coupling-pin. The spring thus being pressed against the draw-head holds, by its tension, the link firmly in an inclined position. The cars then being backed up, the link coming in. contact with the coupling-pin support strikes the same, forcing it back, thus relieving the couplingpin, causing it, by its own weight, to drop through the link into its proper position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The detachable clip (3, provided with ears N N embracing the sides of the drawhead A, with the support H, provided with a series of corrugations, h h, when the support is journaled within the draw-head to the ears N N, the whole combined and operating in connection with the spring M, coupling-pin L, and link P, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The spring 0, secured to the detachable clip 0, when combined and operating in connection with the coupling-pin L, link P, and support H, provided with a series of corrugations, cavity G, and spring M, substantially as herein shown and described.

To the above I have signed my name this 21st day of March, 1870.

VILLIAM RONDEAU BAKER.

Witnesses:

J AMES L. Nonnis, J GEN A. WIEDERsHEIM. 

